SAN DIEGO, California — Sydney Johnson, of Santee, and Brandon Marion, of Temecula, appeared in federal court to face charges of illegally importing 27 protected parrots and parakeets.
The birds, including 11 orange-fronted parakeets and 16 white-fronted Amazon parrots, were discovered in a modified spare tire in the trunk of a car at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on May 3, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Both species are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Customs and Border Protection officers detected anomalies in the spare tire, and upon inspection, heard a screeching noise, leading to the discovery of the birds. In post-arrest interviews, Johnson and Marion admitted they could hear the birds screaming as they drove, with Marion describing the sounds as a “pterodactyl screech.”…